tilled with water in seasons of rain; and perhaps,
also, by the melting snows. Over much of this extent the vegetation was
spare; the surface showing plainly the action of water, which, in the
season of flood, the Joaquin spreads over the valley. About one o'clock,
we came again among innumerable flowers; and, a few miles further,
fields of beautiful blue-flowering _lupine_, which seems to love the
neighbourhood of water, indicated that we were approaching a stream. We
here found this beautiful shrub in thickets, some of them being twelve
feet in height. Occasionally, three or four plants were clustered
together, forming a grand bouquet, about ninety feet in circumference,
and ten feet high; the whole summit covered with spikes of flowers, the
perfume of which is very sweet and grateful. A lover of natural beauty
can imagine with what pleasure we rode among these flowering groves,
which filled the air with a light and delicate fragrance. We continued
our road for about half a mile, interspersed through an open grove of
live oaks, which, in form, were the most symmetrical and beautiful we
had yet seen in this country. The ends of their branches rested on the
ground, forming somewhat more than a half sphere of very full and
regular figure, with leaves apparently smaller than usual. The
Californian poppy, of a rich orange colour, was numerous to-day. Elk and
several bands of antelope made their appearance. Our road now was one
continued enjoyment; and it was pleasant riding among this assemblage of
green pastures, with varied flowers and scattered groves, and, out of
the warm, green spring, to look at the rocky and snowy peaks where
lately we had suffered so much."

Again, in the Sierra Nevada:--"Our journey to-day was in the midst of an
advanced spring, whose green and floral beauty offered a delightful
contrast to the sandy valley we had just left. All the day snow was in
sight on the butt of the mountain, which frowned down upon us on the
right; but we beheld it now with feelings of pleasant security, as we
rode along between green trees and on flowers, with humming-birds and
other feathered friends of the traveller enlivening the serene spring
air. As we reached the summit of this beautiful pass, and obtained a
view into the eastern country, we saw at once that here was the place to
take leave of all such pleasant scenes as those around us. The distant
mountains were now bald rocks again; and, below, the land had any co